Cardinals place Blaze Jordan on IL before Pirates clash

Ahead of Friday’s three-game series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the St. Louis Cardinals placed infielder Blaze Jordan on the 10-day Injured List with a left ankle sprain after the 23-year-old was forced to leave Thursday’s 7-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Jordan suffered the injury in the top of the eighth inning. After reliever George Soriano threw out a runner at third base, Jordan went down immediately and needed assistance to leave the field.

The injury comes after Jordan became a fixture in St. Louis’ lineup following his first promotion to the major leagues in June. He has appeared in 58 games this season, owning a .247/.276/.382 slash line and a .658 OPS. Jordan has also recorded three home runs, 28 RBIs, eight doubles, four triples and 16 runs scored across 199 plate appearances.

To fill Jordan’s spot, the Cardinals recalled utility player Thomas Saggese to the major-league roster. The 24-year-old returns to the big leagues for the first time since June 3 after starting the season on the Opening Day roster.

Saggese had a forgettable first stint in the majors, hitting .184/.244/.276 with one home run and four RBIs in 32 games. However, his production has improved considerably after moving to Triple-A, where he has logged a .258/.340/.446 slash line with 10 homers, 33 RBIs, nine stolen bases, 10 doubles and 35 runs scored in 55 games.

Saggese also gives St. Louis defensive flexibility. He can handle second base, shortstop, third base and left field. With Masyn Winn out and JJ Wetherholt handling shortstop duties, Saggese could offer the Cardinals valuable coverage at second base and depth at shortstop.

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